


Bare Strings Of Breathlessness

by camichats



Category: The Witcher (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, F/M, Resurrection
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-01-04
Updated: 2020-01-04
Packaged: 2021-02-27 15:01:41
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,353
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22119082
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/camichats/pseuds/camichats
Summary: Geralt is walking through town when a familiar face makes an appearance. Jaskier just wants to know how the hell someone supposedly killed by Geralt is up and walking around, but he's not allowed to stick around for the conversation that follows.
Relationships: Geralt z Rivii | Geralt of Rivia/Renfri | Shrike
Comments: 14
Kudos: 108





	Bare Strings Of Breathlessness

Geralt walked down the street, one hand on Roach's reins. He glanced at Jaskier then grimaced; he was waxing poetic about his newest lover. Or maybe it was the newest woman he _wanted_ for a lover, it was hard to tell sometimes. As he looked up the street again, his eyes glanced over Renfri. He kept walking. He didn't look at her again, but from the corner of his eye he could see her approach them, taking up space next to Jaskier. 

"Oh um, hello there. Geralt why is this woman following us?" 

He stopped, turned to look at Jaskier. It was still Renfri next to him, not someone else. "You can see her?" 

"Of course I can, she's wearing bright red, it's rather hard to miss. Can I help you with something?" 

"You can't. He can." 

Geralt's eyes flitted to her. She looked much the same as the last time he'd seen her alive. The gouge on the side of her neck had turned into a pit of whitened scar, but the smirk was the same, her bob of brown hair was the same, and the way she was looking at him was familiar of the night before their fight. She didn't have the brooch on her cloak because he'd taken it-- still had it in his bag somewhere-- but she had the same sword at her hip and she probably had that dagger somewhere too. "I killed you," he said, and started walking up the street again. If it really was her, she wouldn't be so easy to forgive him. Butcher of Blaviken and he had deserved it. Not the way everyone else remembered it, but he'd killed all her men, then her. Whatever fake forgiveness she was offering, he wasn't interested. 

"You- I'm sorry," Jaskier said, hurrying to keep pace with him since he'd learned that Geralt _would_ leave him behind, "did you say you killed her? I've seen the people you kill, they aren't walking around a month later like a goddess from the heavens to grace us." 

"Thank you for the compliment, I think," she said, easily keeping up. "Who are you?" 

"Oh, Jaskier, the Witcher's bard," he said, offering a hand, which she took. "I'm sure you've heard my work. White Wolf, that was my doing." 

"Good marketing," she agreed. "Wish I'd had one of you around when I was working." 

"Feel free to have me around now," he hurried to say, only to stutter to a halt when Geralt glared at him. "I- I- well what I mean to say is, you're here for Geralt and I would never do anything to upset my best friend, because we are friends, aren't we Geralt? So if you're around long enough, I'm sure you'll be made into a song or two yourself. What's your name, again?" 

She hadn't introduced herself in the first place, but she said, "Renfri." 

"Renfri, of course, pleasure to meet you. Um, how do you and Geralt know one another?" 

"We met when there was a... possible monster in Blaviken." 

"Blaviken?" Jaskier repeated, looking to Geralt then back to Renfri. Neither of them offered more details. "Right. Well. I'm sure that was most interesting, I'd love to hear the story sometime." 

"No you wouldn't," she said softly. "I have a story for Geralt though. Maybe he'll tell you about it someday." 

Geralt looked at her again, and it seemed she'd only had eyes for him for that entire conversation. "Jaskier." 

"Hm?" 

"Go entertain yourself in a pub." 

"Al...right. Consider me gone. I'm out. I'll just be, y'know, up there," he said, pointing towards a random building and taking off at something like a march. 

"What are you doing here?" 

"I wanted to see you." 

"The man who killed you." Geralt grunted. 

"It didn't last." 

"Necromancy is forbidden magic." 

"That's not the fault of the subject. I didn't have time to ask a necromancer for help if I failed." 

"Did you fail?" 

She tilted her head in question. 

"You're alive. I take it Stregabor is dead." 

"After what he did, wouldn't you agree he is the lesser of the evils? That is the phrase he used, isn't it? Lesser of two evils." 

"Hm." After the rest of the town had seen her dead at his hand, Stregabor would have thought himself safe. Whoever brought her back must not have made a fuss over it. "Why are you here?" 

"I already said." 

"To see me." 

She nodded. 

Geralt snorted, then started walking again. This wasn't exactly a city, but it was large for a town. There was a stable up ahead that could board Roach for the night, and for once, he had the coin to pay for it. 

"You think you can escape your destiny." 

"There's no such fucking thing as destiny." 

"There is." _The girl in the wood_ , she had said before she left that morning, _The girl in the wood is your destiny_. 

"Destiny for some mage cunt to break the law and resurrect you?" 

"I wouldn't call that destiny, I'd call it a fucking good run for me. Destiny didn't do shit, I decided to help you on my own." 

"Hm." 

Renfri grabbed his arm, and he froze. Despite Jaskier talking with her, he'd still half expected for her to be a hallucination. "I only had vengeance on my mind. It's done. My men are dead, and I'm not a princess anymore. I'm just as lost as you are Geralt. I can help you a lot more than that bard of your's does, I bet." 

He looked down at where she was gripping his forearm. "He does plenty." 

"I'm sure," she said, tone not changing. "What harm could come from letting me travel with you?" 

"My throat cut in the night," he offered, and she rolled her eyes as she let go. 

"Don't be so dramatic. If I was here to kill you, I would've declared it and run at you, sword drawn." And she might actually win that time. 

Geralt grunted, and they walked towards the stables. He didn't welcome her back or anything of the sort, but he didn't object to her presence again. He paid for Roach's stay and gave the horse a parting pat. Grabbed her brooch so he wouldn't forget to return it. Whether she thought of herself like a princess or not, it was still a piece of the life she’d known. "Let's find that fool bard before he gets his balls kicked in." 

"He that annoying?" 

"He takes to sleeping with married women." 

Renfri snorted. "Maybe he deserves to get his balls kicked in." 

"Hm," he said in agreement, but they were still going to protect him if he got into trouble-- which he would, he always did. They walked into the tavern, and while she gave the room a scan, he walked up to the bar. "Two ales." 

The barkeep looked at his eyes then his necklace. "Not sure I want your kind settin' up shop. Trouble follows you." 

He tossed some coins on the counter. 

A pause, then the barkeep shrugged and swept the coins into his hand. "Your funeral mate," he said, but he got the drinks. 

Renfri joined him at the bar and Geralt pushed an ale towards her, followed by tossing her brooch on the counter next to the cup. She downed half her drink before she paid it any attention. She picked it up, rubbing her thumb over the metal. "You kept it." 

He grunted, taking a pull from his cup. 

The corner of her mouth quirked up, and she pinned it on her cloak where it belonged. "Thanks." 

He didn't say anything, and a minute later, Jaskier stumbled in the front door. He saw them, frowned, and made his way over. "Every time you meet a woman, you forget all about me. I'm starting to take it personally Geralt, I really am." 

"Take it however you like." 

"All these women you meet, hm?" Renfri asked, looking supremely amused. 

He took another drink, and she laughed. It was good to have her back. For however long that lasted. 


End file.
